YHS senior plans benefit dinner for Senior Lunch Program

Tuesday

Mar 5, 2013 at 11:02 AMMar 5, 2013 at 11:10 AM

By Ami RidlingDaily News Staff Writer

YREKA – On Saturday, March 9, Yreka High School senior Krista Stringari will host a benefit dinner in Yreka and all proceeds will go toward providing meals to senior citizens through the Senior Lunch Program.

Chicken Alfredo with vegetables and salad will be served for dinner and strawberry shortcake will be served for dessert. Assorted drinks will be available. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a raffle.

Krista chose to organize and execute this fundraising event for her senior project, and she commented that it has been a rewarding and educational endeavor.

Krista said she began planning this event for her senior project during her junior year. Since she enjoys cooking and baking, her mother, who volunteers at the Senior Center, suggested she plan the dinner fundraiser for her senior project. Krista was introduced to her mentor, a cook at the Senior Center, and she began volunteering in the kitchen over the summer to experience cooking for large groups of people.

“Through my experience working at the Senior Center, I have made many senior friends and they have a lot of interesting stories and histories that are important for the younger generations to hear and learn from,” said Krista. “By getting involved, we can help with some of the issues seniors have to deal with such as loneliness, and we can make sure they eat at least one nutritious meal which helps keep them healthy.”

In addition to meal planning, Krista has booked live entertainment for the event. The belly dancing group Pirate Technics will perform. Krista noted that Pirate Technics members are also skilled in performing with fire. While the dinner fundraiser will be held indoors and there will be no fire performance, “They will still be cool to watch,” Krista exclaimed.

As the big day approaches, Krista is being assisted by family, friends, her mentor and employees at the Senior Center.

“Event planning takes a lot of coordination, and I am glad I started planning early,” said Krista. “I have learned how to prioritize tasks and to not be afraid to ask for help. This has been a good learning experience.”

The benefit dinner will be held this Saturday, March 9 at 5:30 p.m. at the Yreka Community Center.

Tickets are $10 each. To purchase tickets, call 340-0732. Donations to the Senior Lunch Program are welcome.